The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-22
Another Rum0r STATES unat tne Steamer on
Which Mr.. Stanley Was Travelling Was
Sunk ard that He Perished by Drowning.
The Announcement Causes q Sensation
in London, but Is Discredited.
The House of Commons Considers Dr. Tanner
and His Strong Language Toward Long
-Churchills Versatility in Politics.
EXPLORER STANLEY.
Unconfrmed Rumors that He Has Lost His
Life In the African WIIds

Unconfirmed Rumors that He Has Lost His
Life In the African WIids-
LONDON, July 21.-A dispatch from st.
Thomas West Africa, says u West African COM
pany has received report that Henry NJ. Stan
ley, the African explorer, has been shot dead by
natives, with whom his expedition was fighting
in order to obtain supplies. Another account
says that the steamer which Stanley was pro-
ceeding to the relief of Emin Bey was
sunk. and that the explorer was drowned. The
report of Mr. Stanley's death emanetes from
missionary at Matadi, who received it from ma
tive from up the country. No direct message
has been received from the expedition. The
rumor is utterly discredited here The latest
authentic news from him was from Aruwimi
and was sent under date of June 2. 1t would be
Impossible for a native to reach Matadi and then
st. Thomas since that time. The distance be-
tween Matadi and Aruwimi alone is a thousand
miles, through the toughest country.
The report created an enormous sensation
here. All of the newspapers accompanied the
dispatch announcing the event with voluminous
obituary notices and sketches of his expeditions
His rescue of DIR. Livingstone is dilated upon
with great precision in detail. and the eminent
services of the supposed dead explorer
counted at length and in laudatory language
In spite of these tributes to the famous traveller
and author, however, the reports of his death
are dscredited by the papers publishing them,
and even the West African Telegraph Company.
through whose agency the news was brought, is
unable to verify the statements. A variety of
theories are advanced to account for the report,
but none of them has plausible a
foundation the rumor itself. The one
most generally accepted, however, is that
the native who brought the news to Matadi re-
ported that "white chief" had been killed. and
that the missionary who forwarded the rumor
assumed that the white chief" was Mr.. Stan
lev. Still it is strange that no one engaged in
manufacturing theories to refnte the the prooa-
bilty that the missionary right in assuming
that the report of Mr.. Stanley's death
rect has ventured to presume that the story OF
his having left Aruwim on June or can have
been untrue. Telegraphic mistakes of con-
stant occurrence in countries where the acme of
guarding against them has bean reached, aud
why are they not possible and proba-
BILE in a country where almost everyone of the
conditions favorable to accuracy in transmitting
dispatches either impaired or wholly lacking?
sThe King of the Belgians has telegraphed, in
reply inquiry, that neither he nor the Bel
gian government has any knowledge of the
whereabouts of Mr. Stanley other than conveyed
in dispatch received Yesterday. reporting his
ty feels convinced of the correctness of that
report, and gives no credence to the rumor of
the explorers death.